Why is it so difficult to govern mobile apps in healthcare?

Mobile apps have become a convenient way to provide health information and communication services directly in the hands of clinicians and consumers. Apps can be used to support consumers in a variety of health tasks to manage chronic diseases, support lifestyle changes and in self-diagnosis. For clinicians, they can improve access to patient information and clinical decision support tools at the point-of-care. While the use of apps in healthcare can bring many benefits, poor quality information and gaps in software functionality can pose new risks to patient safety. In this presentation A/Professor Farah Magrabi will discuss the safety of health apps, she will also elaborate on several issues relevant to app development and use that must be addressed. Citing A/Professor Farah Magrabis work: Ultimately, apps should not be considered just by their form but by their function and as part of the digital health ecosystem. This session will be facilitated by Professor Brian Oldenburg, Director NHMRC CRE in Digital Technology to Transform Chronic Disease Outcomes and Director, WHO Collaborating Centre on Implementation Research for Prevention and Control of NCDs, University of Melbourne.

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